Chicago O'Hare's International Airport is one of 131 airports around the country facing TSA staffing shortages this summer. Additionally, the FAA has reported increased incidents of unruly passenger behavior, and the O'Hare airport transit system is still under renovations.
Americans are anxious to head out of town this summer after a year of pandemic lockdowns. However, travelers could find themselves experiencing long lines at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints across the country.
The Washington Post recently obtained a memo from the TSA warning of staffing shortages in the busiest airports, including Chicago's O'Hare Airport, this summer as travel ramps up.
According to the memo, Darby LaJoye, the agency's temporary administrator has asked TSA office workers to volunteer to help out in the airport at security checkpoints.
The volunteers would not be screening passengers, but assisting with managing lines and administrative tasks during this summer's busy travel season. The memo stated, “With this increase in volume, TSA must maintain operational readiness and ensure that the screening workforce is available to perform screening functions."
The Washington Post also reported that the TSA promised $500 bonuses for employees at short-staffed airports while increasing the amount of allowed overtime, allowing part-time employees to become full-time, and requiring screening officers to work on days off.
This comes about as US air carriers are reporting passenger levels have rebounded to their highest point since before the pandemic.
Despite the scramble to get additional employees working at the security check-in points, the TSA announced in a statement that they were prepared for the busy summer travel season. "The Transportation Security Administration is well-positioned to meet rising traveler volumes this summer,” the agency said. “The agency began a concerted recruitment effort this past winter in anticipation of increasing volumes and is on pace with established benchmarks to meet hiring goals.”
The TSA has said the agency has already recruited 3,100 new employees and plans to hire another 3,000 by September.
However, the contents of the memo question whether the TSA has the staffing resources to handle the summer air travel surge.
Long lines at security and passenger disturbances on the plane
Air travel has become more stressful than ever, with airlines reporting higher levels of violence from passengers. American and Southwest Airlines have temporarily stopped serving alcohol due to the latest passenger disruptions.
The Federal Aviation Administration reported 2,500 reports of unruly passenger behavior from January 1 through May 24. This included 1,900 incidents where travelers refused to follow the federal mask mandate for airlines which is still in effect.
Recently, a man traveling from Portland, Maine to Chicago "created a disturbance while in flight" and was taken into custody by Chicago police officers upon landing at O'Hare.
On May 30th, a video posted online shows a passenger punching a flight attendant. And on June 4th, a man was arrested on a flight from Jacksonville, Florida for punching another passenger.
Chicago's O'Hare's airport transit system is still closed
To make matters worse, traveling from the parking lots to the terminals at O'Hare has been taking longer since 2018 when the ATS train was shut down for renovations.
Now, the project is almost two years behind schedule. In place of the train, shuttle buses take passengers to and from the parking lots and the terminals. But traffic around O'Hare can cause delays in transit.
When the rail system will be back up and operational is unknown, but CBS2 Chicago reported that they had uncovered a contract extension with a shuttle bus provider that lasts until October 2021. Making it seem unlikely the rail system will be up through this summer.
Travel tip: TSA PreCheck
It won't help you avoid unruly fellow travelers, but you might get through the security line faster if you sign up for TSA PreCheck before you fly. For $85, you can get a five-year membership that lets you pass through security lines easier and hopefully faster.
According to the TSA, "In April 2021, 98% of passengers in TSA PreCheck lanes waited less than five minutes."